Rep. Tarponweh Summon For Contempt Of Court

The 13th Judicial Circuit Court for Margibi County, sitting in its August Term A.D. 2018, on the order of Her Honor: Ceainah D. Clinton-Johnson has issued a Writ of Summon against Margibi County District One Representative, Tibelrosa Tarponweh, for the Charge of Contempt of Court.

According to the Writ of Summon dated September 12, 2018, the Court commanded Representative Tarponweh to appear before Judge Clinton-Johnson on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 to show cause, why he cannot be attached with Contempt of Court for obstructing the service of a Writ of Re-possession issued out of the Court on the 8th day of September, 2018 against Marie Johnson, Thomas Yaya Nimely and James Gibson, defendants, all of Duarzon, Lower Margibi County, in an Action of Ejectment out which the Writ of Re-possession grew.

However, the Margibi County lawmaker when contacted confirmed the Court’s order and promised to appear with his Legal Counsel on the date provided by the Court.

According to him, he sees his action as no way obstructing the Court’s from performing her judicial role; rather, he had gone on the scene to avert any act of violence as members of the community were angry to see yet another bulldozers destroying homes worth thousands of United States dollars under questionable circumstances.

It can be recalled that on September 8, 2018, residents of Duarzon, Lower Margibi County telephoned the lawmaker to intervene in a situation that led to near-chaos when Court and police officers, mainly PSU officers of the Liberia National Police, along with a bulldozer went to effectuate an eviction of the said property in favor of one Esther K. Venn.

The lawmaker having arrived on the scene according to eyewitnesses; intervene by inquiring from the Court and police officers as to their mission on the said property and while a bulldozer was seen on the ground where an eviction on a default judgment was to be executed.

Based on the lawmakers’ action, along with the Commander of the Duarzon Police Detachment, eyewitnesses claimed, brought the situation under control; in order to find an amicable solution to a situation that nearly resulted into violence.

Hence, the 13th Judicial Circuit Court for Margibi County has deemed the lawmaker’s action as an obstruction of Court order and has therefore ordered the Margibi County Representative to appear along with his lawyer to answer to a contempt of Court.

According to a Writ of Ejectment issued July 19, 2013, under the authority of then Assigned Judge, Her Honor: Mardea T. Chenoweth, commanded the Court to summon Marie Johnson, Thomas Yaya Nimely and James Gibson to appear before the Court on August 12, 2013 to answer the complaint of the above mentioned case.

The Writ of Returns from the Sherriff of the Court, M. Sarh Konah, indicated that on July 22, 2013, at the hour of 11:30am the Writ was duly served one of the defendants in person of James Gibson and he (Sherriff) received the Court’s copy.

However, the Sherriff noted that defendant Marie Johnson and Thomas Yaya Nimely allegedly told their caretakers not to receive their copies.